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Parents Pushing Hydration For Kids Playing Sports Outside In Heat

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McKINNEY (CBSDFW.COM) – At the peak of Friday afternoon’s heat, as temperatures soared well above the triple-digit mark, young baseball players sweated it out on the field at the Micky Mantle World Series in McKinney.

Players are 16-years old and younger and event organizer Dave Gunter knows the toughest competitor here is the heat.

Parents prepped their players long before game-time. “A lot of water on your neck, a lot of water on your head,” says Maria Chavez, whose son playes center field. “I heard on the news they said to put a lot of water and he says that’s what he’s doing.”

Fans in the stands were seeking shade from the sun’s scorching rays. “A lot of ice and water, a lot of ice and water,” says fan Priseilla Chavez.

According to the American Pediatric Association, children that weigh 80-pounds or less, need to drink at least 5 ounces of water, every 15- minutes when they’re out in heat.

For those over 120-pounds, water intake increases to 9-ounces every 15-minutes. What’s more, doctors say, sports drinks work just as well.

“Studies show that sports drinks that contain sodium chloride actually stimulate thirst,” says Dr. Maria Del Pilar Levy with Cook Children’s Medical Center. “So, children would be likely to drink 90-percent more than just water.” An essential key to remember for any young athlete competitng in the sun.

“We stay on them about hydrating,” Gunter said. “If they wait till they get thirsty, it’s too late. They need to start and drink it constantly.”

Doctors say children sweat less than adults and have a higher metabolism, and that makes them more susceptible to heat exhaustion.